Mid June Under a Full Moon

We woke up on our 55th wedding anniversary on Wednesday with the Eilers in the house as they had stopped by the farm the night before on their way home from their vacation in Tennessee with Leslie. David had also brought Sam out at Elijah and Cecelie’s request, and the kids stayed up late and slept in Wednesday morning. But at least they had their late night visit and their routine giggling session at the kitchen table snacking, (I understood that Jeannie shushed them, but I was sound asleep and did not hear a thing.) I did enjoy the full moon making a million stars on the lake when I got up during the night.

Gerald and I had breakfast alone first although I don’t usually get up that early. I am not very good company early in the morning, but it was a special day. People got up at various times, and as often happens at Woodsong, everyone had to help themselves to coffee, cereal and fruit if they wanted breakfast. (All were able to sleep as late as they wanted except Elijah in the brown room who had to be waked up for lunch, but then he was disappointed he had not had a morning visit with Sam.) It was good to have a fine visit with Jeannie and Rick before lunch since they had to return to Freeport and their many duties that afternoon. Jeannie worked in a bike ride, and, of course, the kids were out on the Gator riding around the lake.

Feeling in a romantic mood, I thought I still had a couple of large pink roses beside the front porch that would go well with the pink roses on a set of china that I once bought at a second-hand store many years ago. (All my china has come from thrift stores. I’d used those dishes when Rick’s parents came to meet us over in the other farm house after our children were engaged.) Unfortunately, the roses were past their prime when I looked, and so I used a small vase of pink petunias in the center of the table instead. We had a leisurely lunch together. Elijah has always liked the canned puddings I try to keep on hand from the local warehouse store, so I made a quickie banana pudding for our dessert and another one that I took into the Cedars when Cecelie and I took Sam home in time for his afternoon basketball camp.

Soon after lunch someone knocked, and the small petunia vase had to be placed elsewhere. Gerry and Vickie had sent us a beautiful bouquet, and they went into the center of the table which Jeannie had already cleared. Two gorgeous coral-colored roses were in the midst of the variety of flowers, and I have enjoyed watching them get larger and larger each day since.

By three o’clock, Rick and Jeannie had loaded up the bicycles and their luggage, and I’d told Lucky and Leah goodbye. And with hugs and kisses, they were gone with Elijah at the wheel. Gerald and I had a date to have supper in town, and he let me choose my favorite sit-down restaurant. We watched the full moon behind dark clouds peeking out through their opening with a shadowed golden glow on our way home. It made the world seem smaller to read on Facebook how much my niece Cyndi was enjoying it in Oklahoma City with her daughter’s family and her sister Gloria in Amarillo.

Thursday is always a busy day for me with errands to run and the weekend looming. A fresh haircut from my favorite cosmetologist that afternoon perked me up to enjoy driving to Carbondale with my retired journalist friend Jari Jackson to attend our monthly Writers Guild. We’d both had to miss the last two meetings and so were eager to meet up with some of the members coming early to have supper at a favorite place across from the Arts Center where we were having our meeting instead of at the college.

A few years ago, Varsity Theater, a long standing institution in Carbondale where Southern Illinois University students collected many memories, had closed. The theater stood empty for years, and the owners rifled seats for parts to repair seats in other theaters in other towns. Finally the stage company needed a new home, and the group ambitiously took on the project of resuscitating the vacant movie theater.

Poet Jim Lambert, our former Writers Guild president, has been active with this group, and we were invited to meet there in their large attractive meeting room and tour their facility after a program by the two women who have put together a 400 plus page hard back book about Carterville, Crainville, and Cambria. We were able to see a bit of the rehearsal of Charlotte’s Web in the small intimate theater the group has created. Then we continued the tour backstage and through their dressing rooms, but for some of us the highlight of the evening came when we visited the usually off-limits old theatre now dark and dusty waiting for dreams yet to come true but redolent with reminiscences of past shows and our youth.

Friday Gerald was mowing grass despite a spill in the creek the day before. But he had landed in soft mud, and he claimed by wearing a sling holding his arm close to his body, his shoulder that he landed on did not hurt enough to warrant a trip to a clinic since his own doctor was out of town. By evening, he was convinced that he was in good shape to get up early the next morning to go with his nephew DuWayne and wife Vickie to Chattanooga to see Southern Force play. So they drove through the early morning rains while I slept through then here at home.

I was able to do some work going through my mother’s photos and writing the final essay of four on Martin family history for the new book that Johnson County Genealogical and Historical Society are creating. I had failed to write an entry in their last book, and I was determined to be more diligent this time. I am finding this last story about my parents is the hardest to write. It will be hard to cut out so many things I’d like to include.

I stopped to drive over to our village church to be one of 60 women gathered there to shower our pastor’s daughter Krista, who is being married in July. It was a beautiful party for a beautiful girl, who managed to open a mountain of gifts but still made sure each of us heard her genuine appreciation. Then a good visit at Katherine’s house completed the afternoon before I came back to looking at old photographs.

This third Sunday is usually Gerald’s and my day with the preschoolers during the morning worship service, but one college guy and one younger boy are always faithful to take their turn with us. We only had four children this morning, so with Cody and Tyler’s help, I made it fine and did not even have to get a substitute.

After lunch, I went in to help Katherine. She was outside in her chair getting Vitamin D, and together we watched Sam shooting baskets in their driveway hoop. David had grilled chicken and other meat, and they had a nice Father’s Day dinner together. He had made special phone calls to his dad and Gerald.

This evening, I phoned to see where the Southern Force fans were on their return trip and heard from Gerald how sweet those two great grandsons were during this weekend outing. Tara and those two boys were already ahead of them in Nashville, and he wasn’t sure if she would stop at the farm for a few hours’ rest or not if the boys are sleeping good. I have unlocked the downstairs door and turned on the porch light just in case. DuWayne and Vickie will let Gerald off at his brother’s to get back in his pickup for the final lap home.

The moon is no longer full but nearly so and quite beautiful here above the farm. I’ll go out on the patio and take one last look at the moon and head on to bed.

Whew!

Whew!

The Archibald gang arrived before noon. Erin and Gma Shirley came over right behind them. (I am not a cell phone fan because I can seldom hear mine; and when I do, I can’t get it into my hand and opened before the ringing stops, and I can’t do messages cause most of the time I keep the cell phone in the car so I won’t forget it and I don’t want people thinking they have left me a message not knowing I may not see it for two days. Nevertheless, it is truly miraculous how texting and calling can keep us in touch with loved ones at all times and places, and I appreciate that very much. I am sure Erin received a “we’re here so come on over” when Tara turned into our country road.

Gerald was changing the oil in the “mule,” and he was so excited at their arrival and greeting them that he forgot where he put the plug after he had started draining the old oil. (He had carefully laid it on the back wheel but it took him a while to remember that!) Maddux wanted to ride that “tractor” immediately. (He calls anything that moves at Gpa’s farm a “tractor.”) However, he had to be changed. I had already held Payton while Tara unloaded the “big” boys and diaper bags to change Maddox. Payton went to me and snuggled happily at first. But little wet Maddux was howling about having to wait to ride the “tractor,” so Payton figured something must be wrong and decided he needed to cry too. So as soon as she could, Tara took him back, and then Gma Shirley and Aunt E arrived and had to have their turn inside the house with Payton. As always, we marveled at how calmly and competently Tara got all three boys reorganized and acclimated after the long drive from the top of the state.

I watched Maddux outside in Gerald’s machine shed while Gerald finished the oil-changing. Maddux was happier waiting on his “tractor ride” sitting under the steering wheel, but he still was demanding, “Maddux ride tractor.” I was afraid he would turn on the key to the “mule” because he kept reaching for it. So I kept telling him those were Gpa Gerald’s keys. He would repeat “Gpa’s keys” and look at me and smile that smile that is going to break a lot of hearts in the years ahead. All this time, Aidan was happily filling his wheelbarrow and red wagon and with lime from his lime pile. Erin came out to take pictures of the boys on her phone, so I went back inside where Gma Shirley showed her skill being able to hold Payton and feed him his bottle despite her arm being broken in two places.

Finally Gerald was ready, and he and the “big” boys were off for their ride up and down the road and around the lake and the fields. After that they rode the real tractor before they came in with red cheeks from the chilly weather although Tara and Auntie E had made sure they had coat and caps. Maddox entered the house talking about riding the tractor, and he continue talking about it. Food had little appeal for him since he knew they’d be more rides after lunch. Gerald is an early riser, and his breakfast cereal had been used up long before and it was now way past noon, and the rest of us were also ready for lunch. Aidan dug in with gusto that would make any cook happy.

Gma Shirley could not eat or even drink water since she was facing surgery on her arm at four this afternoon. She stepped up to entertain Maddux after Tara’s persuasion didn’t succeed for him to eat the banana he’d asked for. He did not last long at the table because he wanted to stand beside Gpa and ask for more tractor rides. Shirley took him out on the deck and they talked about birdies and that lasted a little while. Finally she had him back in the living room watching Barney on some modern invention that is a blessing to traveling children.

Gerald finished his lunch, and then Maddux, Aidan, and he were off for a second round of tractor rides and then to ride in the boat. We women lingered visiting round the table and enjoying Payton who at eight months was able to sit comfortably in the high chair that a little time ago Maddux sat in. I’d put Maddux on the kitchen stool that used to be Aidan’s, and Aidan sat quite well in an adult chair. We did move briefly into the living room and were able to admire Payton’s swim-like crawling before it was time for Erin to have Gma Shirley at the hospital at two o’clock.

Gerald had about given up going to Chattanooga with Tara because a call last night to their motel and another favorite chain of ours both said there were no non-smoking rooms available. But seeing the boys and re-anticipating seeing Gerry, Vickie, and Geri Ann stirred his resolve and he made a final call to yet another motel and got a room in that crowded city with so much going on this weekend. At this point, he was scrambling to pack his bag, camera, and sleep machine while Tara changed the little guys once again, refilled bottles and drinking cups, and reloaded the car. We said our goodbyes and there was a quick turn around for the razor Gerald almost forgot. The mail carrier arrived at the same time in the driveway to deliver the gift that one of Erin’s softball students down in Texas had sent her, and suddenly everyone was gone. The house is quiet. I could take a nap. Or read a book. Or write a blog.